Antrodia cinnamomea is a type of perennial mushroom belonging to Antrodia species of Antrodia (Polyporaceae, Aphyllophorales). Antrodia cinnamomea is a species of wood-decay fungus which only grows on old Cinnamomum kanehirai hay in Taiwan. A body of Antrodia cinnamomea has a porous surface which is bright red at an initial stage and becomes milky white, reddish brown, brownish or fawn when growing. Fruiting bodies are generated from hollow interior trunks of Cinnamomum kanehirai hay or from a bottom of laid deadwoods of Cinnamomum kanehirai hay, having a strong scent of Cinnamomum kanehirai. 
Antrodia cinnamomea has been regarded as a valuable fungi medicinal material. In many researches, triterpenoids are found to be one family of the most important ingredients in Antrodia cinnamomea, and contents of triterpenoids in Antrodia cinnamomea are far more than the one in Lucid ganoderma. In addition, other compounds such as physiologically active ingredients including polysaccharides, superoxide dismutase, adenosine, β-D-glucans, and so on contained therein have a health effect in terms of physiological function of human beings. Triterpenoids have a main function for inhibiting growth of cancer cells, inhibiting release of histamine, preventing allergy, improving hepatic function, promoting platelet aggregation, bringing about a hypolipemic effect, and so on. The more contents and types of triterpenoids are, the higher a medicinal value thereof is. It has been proved from experiments that triterpenoids can inhibit multiplication of hepatoma carcinoma cells. A hypertensive patient often suffers a stroke caused by cerebrovascular rupture due to high blood pressure, and triterpenoids can inhibit activity of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) effectively so as to lower down the blood pressure. Furthermore, triterpenoids are effective in anti-inflammation.
Since Cinnamomum kanehirai hay has been listed as a national protected species and protected from illegal logging, Antrodia cinnamomea is difficult to be collected and is various in qualities. Additionally, natural grown Antrodia cinnamomea may contain heavy metal contaminants more or less due to increasingly serious environment pollution. Thus, most of Antrodia cinnamomea is cultivated artificially in the recent years. According to Taiwan Patent No. 1422680, conventional artificial cultivation methods include basswood cultivation, solid state cultivation and liquid fermentation.
However, the basswood cultivation cannot be performed in an aseptic environment, and can thus be easily contaminated by other microorganisms. Further, sources of basswoods are not easy to control, and the basswoods can possibly be contaminated. Antrodia cinnamomea yielded from the basswood cultivation shows toxicity to adrenal gland in animal experiments and can cause an increase in weights of liver and ovary of a mouse.
The solid state cultivation is performed mainly by culturing Antrodia cinnamomea in a growth bag containing nutriments (i.e., a current method for culturing forest mushrooms). Harvested Antrodia cinnamomea has an appearance similar to Antrodia cinnamomea grown in the wild and/or with the basswood cultivation, but has a low content of triterpenoids. Also, other main ingredients thereof are different from those of fruiting bodies of Antrodia cinnamomea grown in the wild and/or with the basswood cultivation.
Furthermore, in terms of the liquid fermentation, a liquid fermentation product of Antrodia cinnamomea generally can be harvested in a short time However, a product therefrom contains mainly polysaccharides and no triterpenoids. In addition, other main ingredients of the product greatly differ from those in fruiting bodies of Antrodia cinnamomea grown in the wild and/or with the basswood cultivation.
In view of aforementioned facts, a novel method for culturing fruiting bodies of Antrodia cinnamomea must be provided to successfully generate fruiting bodies of Antrodia cinnamomea in an aseptic environment, and the main ingredients thereof such as triterpenoids therein should be similar to those in the Antrodia cinnamomea grown in the wild and/or with the basswood cultivation, thereby bringing about a health effect on human beings.